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| Haiti | Introduction | Back to Top |
Haiti, independent republic occupying the western third of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic, and bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean, on the east by the Dominican Republic, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the Windward Passage, which separates it from Cuba. Its area is 27,750 sq km (10,714 sq mi). Port-au-Prince is Haiti's capital and largest city.
Official Name- Republic of Haiti| Haiti | Provinces | Back to Top |
9 departments (departements, singular - departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand'Anse, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est
| Haiti | People | Back to Top |
The population of Haiti is 6,964,549 (2001 estimate), giving the country an overall population density of 251 persons per sq km (650 per sq mi). In arable areas, however, there are about five times more people than the average. Some 66 percent of the population lives in rural areas.
Haitian Creole and French are the official languages. Creole is spoken by all Haitians and, with French, is used in drama, music, radio, television, politics, and religion. But written Creole is not widely accepted because the school system retains French as the main language of instruction. Creole is normally used in daily life, and French—mastered by perhaps 10 percent of the people—is used in more formal circumstances. Most of the vocabulary of Haitian Creole is derived from French, but its syntax is similar to that of some African languages and resembles the syntax of other creole languages of the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean.
| Haiti | History | Back to Top |
The Arawak, the original inhabitants of the island Haiti shares with the Dominican Republic, called the island Ayti, meaning “land of mountains.” When he arrived in 1492, Christopher Columbus named the island La Isla Española in honor of his Spanish sponsors. The name later evolved into the modern name Hispaniola. After an early settlement near Cap-Haïtien was destroyed by Native Americans, the Spanish settled the eastern half of the island and left the west unsettled.
Haitian volunteers fought in the American Revolution (1775-1783) under French general Marquis de Lafayette and thereby gained some military experience. The French Revolution, which began in 1789, inspired the Haitian Slave Revolt of 1791. This rebellion was led by Toussaint-Louverture , Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Henri Christophe, Alexandre Sabès Pétion, and Jean-Pierre Boyer. By 1794 forces under Toussaint-Louverture had freed the colony’s slave population and rid it of its French and British presence. By 1801 Toussaint-Louverture ruled the entire colony. Although Toussaint-Louverture was captured by French forces in 1802 and died a prisoner in France, the rebellion he had fostered did not die. In 1804 Dessalines declared Haiti to be the world’s first black republic.
20th century, the United States was worried about French and German influences in Haiti and the security of the newly opened Panama Canal. In 1915, during World War I, the United States invaded Haiti to restore order in the country. U.S. Marines secured the countryside and proceeded to build the institutions needed to govern a modern nation. The United States collected tariffs, paid foreign debts, restructured the government and military, built roads and bridges, and trained local people for leadership roles. Although some Haitians resisted the U.S. occupation, most notably in 1920, the occupation was generally peaceful. The U.S. military occupation of Haiti was terminated on August 15, 1934. U.S. reforms did not last, however, and Haiti fell prey to dictators and disorganization. In the 1930s Haiti suffered through the worldwide depression.
| Haiti | Culture | Back to Top |
Haiti's cultural life displays variety and originality and shows authentic achievements in many areas. Artists have drawn from the vitality of the people and the rich folklife to create internationally recognized works of art. Port-au-Prince is the centre of cultural and intellectual life, and the nation's most important museums, libraries, and entertainment facilities are located there.
Haitian culture fuses African, French, and West Indian elements. Formerly a social divider, the Creole language is now being used in attempts to define a national culture. The language is used in literature, drama, music, dance, and some governmental functions. Haitian works of art are enjoying increasing worldwide recognition. The country has several outstanding libraries. The collection of the Brothers of Saint Louis de Gonzague (1912), the National Archives (1860), and the Bibliothèque Nationale (1940), all located in Port-au-Prince, contain rare works that date from the colonial period. Also devoted to Haitian history is the National Museum (1983), located in Port-au-Prince.
Haitian paintings have received attention since the 1940s, when a school of “naive” or “primitive” artists developed in Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien. The works of the earlier and more famous artists are exhibited in major galleries in the United States and France. Primitive influence is also evident in such handicrafts as wood carvings and tapestries, which are manufactured in Haiti but sold throughout the Caribbean.
| Haiti | Life | Back to Top |
Haitians, daily life is a struggle for survival. An estimated 65 percent of the population lives in poverty. These people, many of whom farm small plots of poor mountain land, are often malnourished. Infant mortality is 95 per 1,000 births, life expectancy at birth is only 49 years, and the incidence of diseases ranging from intestinal parasites to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is extremely high. Only about 46 percent of the population has access to safe drinking water, and only 28 percent has access to sanitary sewer systems. A limited elite of about 10 percent, mostly professionals, enjoys a sophisticated, affluent lifestyle. This elite class has traditionally resisted all attempts to restructure the Haitian social system.
| Haiti | Land | Back to Top |
Haiti is mountainous and rugged. The native American Indian inhabitants called the island Ayti, meaning “Mountainous Land.” Plains, which are quite limited in extent, are the most productive agricultural lands and the most densely populated areas. Rivers are numerous but short and most are not navigable. The seas around Haiti are noted for their striking coral reefs. The shores are generally rocky, rimmed with cliffs, and indented by a number of excellent natural harbours.
| Haiti | Plants and Animal | Back to Top |
pine forests at high elevations and mangroves in inaccessible swamps remain. Semidesert scrub covers the ground in drier zones. Environmental deterioration has had a severe impact on Haiti’s plants, animals, soil, and water resources. Tropical reefs surrounding the country are threatened by the large quantities of silt washed down from the eroding mountainsides. Coffee and cacao trees spread across the mountains in scattered clumps, while sugarcane, sisal, cotton, and rice cover most of the good farmland. Most of Haiti’s native animals were hunted to extinction long ago.
| Haiti | Economy | Back to Top |
Haiti’s economy has been shrinking since the early 1980s while the population has continued to grow. In 1999 Haiti’s per capita gross domestic product was $550. This placed Haiti among the world’s poorest nations. Agriculture employs 68 percent of the labor force; manufacturing, services, and tourism are the next largest employers. About 25 to 50 percent of the workforce is underemployed or unemployed. The international sanctions employed against Haiti’s military leaders from 1991 to 1994 further weakened the already crippled economy. Government revenue in 1996 was $228 million and spending was about $273 million. Haiti’s international debt is approaching $1 billion.
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The limited resource base has been depleted, first through intensive colonial exploitation and later through unplanned development and corruption. Both the private sector and the state share responsibility for this state of affairs. A few multinational corporations are active in the country. Gold and copper are found in the north of the country. Extraction of bauxite by Reynolds Metals Company at Miragoâne in the southern peninsula was discontinued in 1983. Drilling of sedimentary formations in the Gulf of Gonâve has not been followed by oil discoveries. Haiti is heavily dependent on energy imports. Hydroelectricity is not sufficient to satisfy current needs.
About 80% of the population lives in abject poverty. Nearly 70% of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, which consists mainly of small-scale subsistence farming and employs about two-thirds of the economically active work force. The country has experienced little job creation since the former President PREVAL took office in February 1996, although the informal economy is growing. Following legislative elections in May 2000, fraught with irregularities, international donors - including the US and EU - suspended almost all aid to Haiti. This destabilized the Haitian currency, the gourde, and, combined with a 40% fuel price hike in September, caused widespread price increases. Prices appear to have leveled off in January 2001.
| Haiti | Communications | Back to Top |
domestic facilities barely adequate; international facilities slightly better domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk service international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
| Haiti | Languages | Back to Top |
French colonial and West African phrases and words, are the official languages, the latter attaining that status in 1987. The poorer class (about 90 percent of the population) speak Creole, while the elite speak modern French. About 80 percent of Haiti’s people are nominal Roman Catholics, many of them combining an African animism called Vodou or Vodun.
| Haiti | Politics | Back to Top |
Alliance for the Liberation and Advancement of Haiti or ALAH [Reynold GEORGES]; Assembly of Progressive National Democrats or RDNP [Leslie MANIGAT]; Convergence (opposition coalition composed of ESPACE, OPL, and MOCHRENA) [Gerard PIERRE-CHARLES, Evans PAUL, Luc MESADIEU, Victor BENOIT]; Democratic Consultation Group coalition or ESPACE [Evans PAUL, Victor Benoit] composed of the following parties: National Congress of Democratic Movements or KONAKOM, National Progressive Revolutionary Party or PANPRA, Generation 2004, and Haiti Can; Haitian Christian Democratic Party or PDCH [Marie-France CLAUDE]; Haitian Democratic Party or PADEM [Clark PARENT]; Lavalas Family or FL [Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE]; Mobilization for National Development or MDN [Hubert DE RONCERAY]; Movement for National Reconstruction or MRN [Rene THEODORE]; Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti or MIDH [Marc BAZIN]; Movement for the Organization of the Country or MOP [Gesner COMEAU and Jean MOLIERE]; National Front for Change and Democracy or FNCD [Evans PAUL and Turneb DELPE]; New Christian Movement for a New Haiti or MOCHRENA [Luc MESADIEU]; Struggling People's Organization or OPL [Gerard PIERRE-CHARLES]
| Haiti | Government | Back to Top |
A constitution approved by referendum in 1987 incorporated features of the U.S. and French constitutions. It provides for a president who is directly elected by universal adult suffrage for a five-year term. The head of government is the prime minister, appointed by the president from among the members of the majority party of the parliament. The parliament consists of two houses, a Senate and a House of Representatives. Senators are elected for six years and representatives for four.
| Haiti | Legal | Back to Top |
Legal system: based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE (since 7 February 2001) head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Marie CHERESTAL (since 9 February 2001) cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 26 November 2000 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by the president, ratified by the Congress election results: Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE elected president; percent of vote - Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE 92% Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale consists of the Senate (27 seats; members serve six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of Deputies (83 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate - last held for two-thirds of seats 21 May 2000, with runoffs on 9 July boycotted by the opposition; about eight seats still disputed; election for remaining one-third held on 26 November 2000 (next to be held NA 2002); Chamber of Deputies - last held 21 May 2000, with runoffs on 30 July boycotted by the opposition; one vacant seat rerun 26 November 2000 (next election NA 2004) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FL 26, independent 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FL 73, OPL 1, other minor parties and independents 9 Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation
| Haiti | organization | Back to Top |
ACCT, ACP, Caricom (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
| Haiti | Education | Back to Top |
Education is free and compulsory in Haiti for children between the ages of 6 and 12. In practice, access to education is sharply limited by school location, language comprehension (classes are taught in French), the cost of school clothes and supplies, and the availability of teachers. Only about 50 percent of the primary-school aged children actually attend school. As a consequence of limited educational opportunities, only 65 percent of the adult population is literate.
| Haiti | Defence | Back to Top |
Military branches: Haitian National Police (HNP)
note: the regular Haitian Army, Navy, and Air Force have been demobilized but still exist on paper until constitutionally abolished
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,635,253 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 888,305 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 87,049 (2001 est.)
| Haiti | International Disputes | Back to Top |
claims US-administered Navassa Island
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